Category Archives: Religion

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When I first heard the song “The Measure of a Man” by 4Him, I must confess that it gave me some food for thought. It did so when I was teenager and even now when I sit down and think about it, I am constantly reminded that it’s not what’s outside that matters but what’s on the inside. The chorus of this tune was especially poignant:

Oh I say the measure of a manIs not how tall you standHow wealthy or intelligent you are'Cause I found out the measure of a manGod knows and understandsFor He looks inside to the bottom of your heartAnd what's in the heart definesThe measure of a man!

In reflecting upon what life has been like since marriage I realised that there definitely has been a change in the way that I perceive the world. Verily, things that did not seem all that important before suddenly attain significance of a startling kind. Being on one’s own is both a joyful and fearful endeavour. But why? Continue reading →

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what’s next in my life in terms of work and family. Right now I’m a Solutions Architect which is great and all, but my first love has been and will always be programming. When I started down my career path I never envisioned what the road would be like…and just how hard it would become to stay dedicated to a dream that always seems to elude one’s grasp. In a sense though, I do have the feeling that this was meant to be since as the Scripture clearly states, “A man lays his plans but the Lord directs his steps” (Proverbs 16:9). At times (I’ll be quite honest), I become rather disgruntled because I don’t know what’s next. Over the years I’ve accepted this as being quite natural despite the fact that it has been proven to me over and over again that I really don’t need to worry about the next bend in the road, when God says He’ll provide, He is as true as ever to His Word as He was in days long past. Trust is something I’ve always spoken about, but dealing with it is easier said than done. Yet when you do you end up realising that the fears that were keeping you grounded were…well..groundless (been waiting for years to use that one!). Continue reading →

A shot of the Head Table at my wedding reception. Done by Karl Anderson. Couldn't have asked for a better photographer! 😀

A recent devotional that my wife and I did led us to the passage of Scripture that dealt with the parable of the Wedding Feast. To make a short story..well..short-er…a King had invited some guests to his wedding banquet. However many of the persons invited either ignored the invitation or they beat the servants up pretty badly (maybe they were having a rotten day or something). The King got angry and torched the city in short order. He then commanded his servants to go and invite just about anyone they could find since those who had been invited were not worthy. It was done, but in the midst of everyone, the King found someone who did not have his wedding clothes on. When asked how he got in, he was speechless. Needless to say, he was thrown out with the famous captioned conclusion of “for many are called, but few are chosen”. Continue reading →

My new pair of Puma Eco-Ortholite sneakers 😀 (R.I.P. Puma cross-trainers, you will be missed!)

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” — 1 Cor 9:27 Continue reading →

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. — Jeremiah 29:11

After almost a month of late nights, fretting, and a whole lot of one-on-one conversations with God as to whether I’m really good enough for just about anything…I nailed it! I just had my solution design presentation last Friday, and while it wasn’t perfect, I’m happy to say that with God’s help, I’ve finally landed the job that will launch me into the next cycle of my career journey. Come April, I’ll be a Solutions Architect…an occupation that will finally put the knowledge I gained with my Master’s to good use. I just had to give God thanks since I really wasn’t sure that I’d be able to get in. I may be entering the world of design from an odd angle, but I sure as heck don’t mind. No sir, I believe God when He says that His ways are higher than my own (Isaiah 55:9). Sometimes the strangest things will turn out to be oddly fortuitous when you’re walking with Him…and I’ll have to admit, it’s a little hard to get used to. But it’s all a part of learning to trust and to lean on Him for strength when you find yourself either out of your league or facing something that just overwhelms you. Continue reading →

Last week was rather grueling. I’ve missed several assignments now on Webcraft and I’m not even sure when I’ll be able to catch-up with everything. The pressure is building, but by next week I’ll finally get some breathing room. So if my time is so limited, what is it that’s keeping me up writing this post at 1:30am in the morning? Well, aside from being a night owl, I’m up against a challenge at work that requires me to step out of my comfort zone. Don’t be put off by my tone…I’m actually speaking about an internal job opportunity within the firm. As much as I would love to say that I handle change brilliantly, I’d probably be more accurate at saying I do “okay” most of the time. Other than that, I’m usually rather resistant and pretty conventional (at times to a fault). Not a good habit I know, and I’m sure God knows too–which is perhaps why I was presented with this opportunity. The major problem I face is…should I really give it my everything? There’s no guarantee that I’ll succeed, and even if I do, there’s no way of knowing if I’ll even be better off in terms of finances or overall standard of living. So then…is it really worth it? Continue reading →

The past two weeks have been somewhat quite eventful. Among other things, I rolled out a small scale beta PHP app at work, designed a test WP site and deployed it for a WebCraft project, and started dabbling with OpenStreetMaps and JQuery. But another thing happened too. I had a horrible toothache! Continue reading →

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Joshua E. Thomas

Hi there! If you're a Christian, you know it's never been easy to keep on track. The world will always compete with God for your attention. At the end of the day though, you have a choice to make--will you give your all for God, or try to get by with just the world? I made the choice to give it all. This blog is my commitment to that choice. It is my wish to see my Father's Kingdom here on Earth!